Almanac Bush Footy: The Yeppoon Swans – on the verge of history
An Australian football club in central Queensland is one win away from rewriting the record books for the most consecutive wins in the game’s history.
The Yeppoon Swans are chasing a history-making 89th straight victory when they host the BITS Saints in the AFL Capricornia Grand Final at Swan Park on Saturday.
The record has stood for 44 years, with former Adelaide Hills team Heathfield-Aldgate United winning 88 consecutive games between 1971 and 1976.
The Swans moved into equal top-spot with a thumping 132-point victory against the Glenmore Bulls in last weekend’s preliminary final.
The Swans haven’t lost an A-grade game since 2015 and are chasing their sixth-straight premiership in the club’s 40th year.
Coach Mark Wallin is in his seventh season at the helm while his son Matt is the A-Grade captain.
Yeppoon is a coastal town with a population of approximately 18,000 people, located about 650km north of Brisbane. AFL Capricornia is a six-club competition comprising Yeppoon, three teams from Rockhampton and one each from Gladstone and Boyne Island-Tannum Sands.
This is the first time the AFL Capricornia Grand Final will be held at Yeppoon’s home ground, Swan Park, while the day will also be live streamed online.
The Yeppoon Swans have the chance to create history in a historic year – 2020 also signifies 40 years the club has existed in the rugby league heartland of Rockhampton. If the Swans can handle the pressure and triumph again, they will take the outright record and claim six consecutive premierships.
Yeppoon’s home ground will attract a bumper crowd, with nine sides (juniors through from under-7s to under-17s as well as a women’s team) praying for the flag. This success can be credited to the Swans’ junior program, where over 75 per cent of the players are home grown and eventually push into the senior ranks.
This organic nature leads to sponsorship and volunteers – Yeppoon is bolstered by a healthy crew of helpers and contributors who have ensured the club thrives each season. There is no payment of players. Their philosophy relies on getting Friday nights (where the Under-7s, 9s and 11s play) right, and then getting Saturday mornings (13s, 15s, 17s) right too so the club has an excellent chance of getting Saturday afternoons (Reserves, women’s and A-Grade) right. Alongside the senior team, the Under-13s, 15s and Reserves teams will all play in Grand Finals this weekend.
Stay tuned for an update on how Yeppoon go at chasing Australian football history.
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Interesting story and history. I’m puzzled though by paragraph four. What is the finals format? Did 1 v 4 and 2 v 3 with the winners playing off?
Anything to do with Swans, red and white and the red V will have me barracking! Go Yepoon Swans!
Hey Daryl, what I got from it (which was from their media release) was that they moved into equal top spot on the records list of consecutive wins, not top spot on the ladder. They were already top spot and won their preliminary final very easily.
Oh. I see now. Cheers Sean
They did it.
10.10 (70) to Saints 1.3 (9)